Richard Lorne Eedy: Canadian difference

My ski bucket list has included Steamboat for more than 25 years. My wife and I have manifested our desires with our first stop here in Steamboat Springs.

Part of the attraction was coming from a beautiful heritage town of 6,300 people in southwestern Ontario, Canada. We are the fifth generation living in our 1849 house, now retired as the fourth-generation publisher of the local newspaper. May I digress for the moment and compliment the Steamboat Pilot & Today on its community coverage and lovely layout from page to page?

Further, I wish to shine the light of praise on your letter-writers as compassionate, thoughtful and, dare I say, erudite.

Let me step back with the Canadian perspective. This is my quote on the difference between the U.S. and Canada: “Americans consider health care a privilege and gun ownership a right while Canadians consider health care a right and gun ownership a privilege.” In my life, I never have met a private citizen in Canada who owns a pistol or an automatic rifle.

What confuses me on the gun control issue is the stand, by Second Amendment logic, on the right to bear arms in the 21st century. This is fundamentally different from the 1770s amendment that enabled citizens to bear arms against foreign invasion. Is that not true?

What further confuses me in the “protect my family and home” logic is why an automatic or assault weapon is needed. Why would a pump shotgun not do the job?

Further cultural perspective differences come unfortunately with mass killings in the U.S., where there have been 62 in the past 30 years while in Canada, there have been two. There was one smaller incident and one terrible incident in which 14 female engineering students were killed in the so-called “Montreal Massacre” in 1989. Canadians recognize this one event nationwide annually on Dec. 6. May I underline the 31-to-1 ratio in the past 30 years?

One change that I suggest should occur — do not publish the name of mass shooters. Western thought has problems with the concept of a Muslim seeking paradise and a multitude of virgins for wearing a bomb jacket, but Americans do not see a conceptual problem with a mass murderer getting on the Time magazine cover or making CNN. These American assailants want the notoriety — take it away from them.

Thank you for your time and space as a foreign visitor who loves the American people.

Comments

When you understand the principles upon which the Constitution and our country were founded, it will clear up your confusion. Unlike the Canadian Constitution which is an evolution and amalgamation of laws with roots in Monarchy, the U.S. Constitution is based on the concept of John Locke’s Natural Law. Natural Law recognizes that all men are created equal. People, by their humanity, are born with unalienable rights. They are free; own themselves and the fruits of their labor. People are free to pursue their self interests, as long as these pursuits don’t infringe on the rights of others. A fundamental truth of Natural Law is self preservation. Free people have an inherent right to defend themselves from all threats, and by whatever means necessary. This is the basis of the 2nd Amendment
When the Constitution was written the Founders had just fought a War of Independence which was triggered when the King’s soldiers tried to seize the arms of the Colonists. The King assumed that he ruled by divine right, and the Colonists were his subjects. The Colonists considered themselves to be free and independent. They and their ancestors left the old world to escape serfdom and the enslavement of heraldry. The people refused to submit and obey to their “ruler”. The king, in his arrogance, attempted to crush this rebellion, and the rest is history.

In earlier posts I have cited legitimate statistics documenting the fact that those industrialized countries with the strongest gun control laws have the most violent crime. Australia, England and Wales are the top three. The U.S. ranks 10th.

The amount of violent crime in the U.S. is not the result of lax gun control laws. It is the result of policies that had their roots in Fabian Socialism. “Enlightened” socialists, like Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, FDR and Johnson enacted policies that have destroyed property rights, sound money, the family unit, respect for the rule of law, and made people dependent on the government. It is these statist policies that are directly responsible for the devolution of culture in the U.S., and I might add the bankruptcy of the country.

Our socialized school system teaches that the government is good and noble. A few examples from real history; the slaughter of 700,000 Americans, 60,000 of which were women and children that resulted from Lincoln’s unconstitutional invasion of the Southern States, the follow up policy of Native American genocide for the benefit of Railroad interests, 110,000 Americans of Japanese and German decent interned in concentration camps during WWII, the unconstitutional wars in Korea, Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Iraq, et al. Americans have a strong and well earned distrust for government. Americans do not believe that government will do a better job of protecting them, than they can do for themselves. The 2nd Amendment is necessary so that free people retain the ability to shoot at tyrants, even in the 21st Century.

Mr. Eedy writes: "What further confuses me in the “protect my family and home” logic is why an automatic or assault weapon is needed. Why would a pump shotgun not do the job?"

A more relevant question: If the world is so dangerous a place that the Routt County Sheriff's Department issues AR-15s to its deputies, why shouldn't civilians - who are sovereign over the police - be identically equipped? Especially since we're the ones obliged to confront those dangers long before the police arrive?

A correction to my first post in response to your Letter To The Editor:

Lincoln’s unconstitutional invasion of the Southern States resulted in the deaths of more than 700,000 Americans, 60,000 of which were women and slaves, not children. Plenty of children died as a result of Lincoln waging total war on the South, but statistics on the number are unclear.

For Canadians to have a “right” to healthcare requires that wealth is first confiscated from others to pay for it. This infringes on the rights of the person being plundered. That person voluntarily sacrificed part of his life to acquire this wealth and the state then claims part of his life for the benefit of the collective. This is immoral and amounts to legalized theft.

So, I guess the question is, does the second amendment mean we have the right to bear the kind of arms that were available when it was written or the kind of arms that are available now? If, as some feel, I am supposed to be on equal terms with any attempt by be government to suppress me, shouldn't I be able to go to Elk River guns and buy a Grenade launcher? Or, for the impending North Korea strike, a scud might come in handy. Really, limiting the citizens to assault weapons that dump out only 900 rounds a minute is unconstitutional at that point. Seriously, who draws this line? How do we establish it?

the entire series and response's have just gotten completely out of control and reached the level of farce..... "unconstitutional invasion of the southern states".... the 'ole south just will not except reality and that the end of everything it stood for ended 150 years ago....

Richard L Eddy I don't think anyone has the right to tell US what we NEED or before you know it we will all be living in 300 sq ft Agenda 21 housing. Automatic weapons are illegal in all 50 states and a assault weapon could be anything from a butter knife to a RPG since you could assault someone with either weapon. When I have traveled to other countries I have stayed out of their politics and I suggest you do the same and enjoy our mountain and leave the politics to the locals. I hope some day to return to BC and enjoy what is good about Canada.

Thanx for your letter. Unlike some of the other correspondents here, I think it is important to consider ALL perspectives on issues. Sometimes, it is possible to be "too close" to an issue to see it clearly, the whole "forest and trees" problem. I think we can benefit from the point of view of those on the outside looking in. In the end, we all inhabit the same Earth!!

It seems to me that although gun ownership in Canada is not that different from the US, the probability of someone being killed by a gun in Canada is MUCH lower. Although gun control in Canada is also much more restrictive than in the US, I think the low gun homicide rate is more the result of other cultural differences; most Canadians simply would not even THINK to shoot someone!! It is nearly as abhorrent as the thought of cannibalism. In general, Canadians just don't see using a gun as a means of resolving a dispute. By inference, it may be true that Canadians have more respect for human life than Americans.

Canadians love their guns just as much as Americans. I lived in Canada for five (5) years, and many of my friends were hunters or recreational shooters. I never knew any, however, that felt they needed weapons to protect them from either their fellow citizens or their government. I attribute this "absence of paranoia" to a confidence in the ability of people to resolve their differences in peaceful ways, such as thru compromise. In this regard, I find Canadians much more rational than we "continentals." :)

I was in Canada this past winter and found the people's numbness to the socialism and general expenses of lower standards of living utterly sureal, and erie, and alarming. Your "Trans-Canada" highway, for example, is a piece of crap, and your people suffer economically because of that.

I also think it is interesting, Richard, that you consider it a "right" to have your government put a gun to your fellow mans head on your behalf and extract property from them to provide you with healthcare yet you don't consider it a "right" for a CITIZEN to simply OWN something that nobody else is compelled to provide.

I would explain the different mindsets by pointing out that you sound like a "SUBJECT" and I intend to remain a "CITIZEN".

Since Canada has socialized medicine maybe they have better mental health treatment and facilities. And I am sure this will have someone screaming racist, but does Canada have the ghettos and barios that the US has? I lived in Seattle for 5 years way back when and there were some problems with Asian gangs but nothing like Chicago, Barack's stomping ground and Rahm's fiefdom.

you guys love to run your mouths' about all this 1770 crap... how you'd be standing up to big bad government like the founders... how you embody freedom and liberty...yet, at the end of the day, you're not going to do anything. nada. blah blah blah.

One of the bigest flaws of the statist left is that they seem unable to recognize all the things that DIDN'T happen today. All those things that would have been done today if not for their beloved gubbamint's meddling.

People like Bob can not see the millions of people who decided NOT to invest in this country today. They bitch about how the "evil corporations" are holding so much cash offshore but haven't a clue as to why.

They cast derision and scorn on those who pull the heaviest of this nations load and wonder why the train seems to be stalling on this hill.

The reason it is stalling, you fool, is that the "1770's crap" crowd is shrugging off the burdens you sandbagging jackwagons try to put on us every day.

The day is rapidly approaching when Bob is right..."[we're] not going to do anything". And when that day comes NOT ONE DAMNED THING will get done. If people like Bob had half a brain they would pray that such a day never came, but it is on the horizon, and more is being done in the "not doing" than people like him will ever understand.

I agree with Bob. These guys are awful brave in the forums, but I'll wager we see very little in the way of action. Go shoot up the government for us, please. Where ya gonna start? And when? Paper tigers.

rhys and bob , i'll let ya stand behind me while you two cower in fear.
heck i'll even let ya pull the trigger once, but only once. then we can all go hula. jeez whiners. hey whens last call at stocker, i'll buy ya a beer.~;0)
oh and go nuggies

nope never served, but i'll still stand up don't need to brag, just willing to take action when called. looks like i'll need to stand beside you. most people never served back in 1770 but still stood up. whats your point Rhys?
hey your work is slacking , must be, your posting a lot these days.~;0)
flyboy just like my daddy except with a nuke in his belly.

I qualified Expert with the M-14, 10 out of 10 bullseyes at 500 meters, 236 out of a possible 250 score. For Infantry training we shot the M-16, piece of crap. On guard duty we either had a .45 or Remington 870 12-gauge loaded with 00 buckshot, depending on if it was a road post or a walking post. No I never shot anybody, and nobody shot at me. Air Wing.

Yep. Tankers personal weapon of "choice" due to space inside was Remington or Colt .45 pistols when we still had the M60A3s. Had to qualify once or twice with the M-16. I can honestly say there are people in the military who should never have a weapon within their reach.

Never fired sidearms with the NBC gear, but going the the CS Chamber in Ft. Knox?? Never again! LOL! "I'm a bird! I can fly!!" Had to flap your arms and yell at the top of your lungs to clear them out. River of mucus coming out and this wasn't even the harshest grade of stuff.

I share your opinion of the M-16. Give me the old M-14 any day. And what could possibly be better than a .45ACP? As far as the Remington 870, I've probably shot enough rounds out of my old 870 20gauge at clays to fill the back bed of a pick-up truck. What a great shotgun.

My next question would be: Have you ever been in trouble with the law, Rhys??

I'm still waiting for ONE PERSON with military experience to throw in with these wackos. How 'bout you, Jerry? You want to help overthrow this nasty tyrant government? Matt -- You joining up with our Boy Scouts? They desperately need Real Heroes. Like sideline quarterbacks, they dream of the glory they will never enjoy. Shoot 'em up, boys.

Nope. As I posted earlier, I knew people in the Army who should never be allowed a weapon, in my opinion. I'm all for the 2nd Amendment, but I'm also for full background checks on every purchase.

And for those saying it's not the weapon, it's the unbalanced people...well, some people become unbalanced at different times. I give you all Christopher Dorner as an example. I'm sure we all remember him from 2 months ago, starting LA's biggest manhunt, ever. Most of his history, from what I've seen, would never have led people to believe he go off the deep end...but he did.

I kept wanting to bring that up each time Jerry Carlton kept asking on different 2nd Amendment threads of people who didn't share his view of weapons, if they had served on the force or in the military. So now, I did. Christopher Dorner served as an LAPD officer and was a Naval Reservist (O-3), also.

As for me, arrested 6 times (one was DUI) in my life; 3 before graduating High School here in Steamboat. Not sure why Hartless was bringing that into play. And, I was still able to join the Army and drive a tank. Luckily, I'm just not the guy who drove one up I-25 toward Castle Rock when I was in.

Oh, and I don't believe the average citizen needs more than 7 round magazines in any type of situation. If you do, I'd probably be calling into question as to what sort of activities that person involves themselves in to need a higher capacity.

As a tanker (possibly, since hand weapons weren't our specialty) when I was in, qualifying with the M-16 or .45 meant knocking the target down, not head or heart or the like. We were told that once you knock them down, you have just given yourself more time to fire again, if needed.

Matthew You are the second liberal to step forward and admit to military service. Rhys said he was a liberal but after thinking about it, I really think he is more of a renegade than a liberal. Rhys, please take that as a compliment. I have much more respect for renegades than liberals. Matthew, I certainly respect you for your military service. What I have been trying to point out is how few of the latter day liberals had the guts to serve our country in the military or law enforcement. The Peace Corps is a great humanitarian organization which should be left to private charities. Our bankrupt country has spent billions, probably trillions on military aid and other throw away programs of foreign aid ever since the end of WWII.

Rhys No I am not going to try and overthrow the government in spite of my low opinion of it. I do not think that a giant plot will take down this country, not even by the Fed. I think we will collapse for the same reason Israel was destroyed in Biblical days. We have turned our backs on God. Taking that a little further, we will collapse for the same reason Rome collapsed, sexual immorality, drunkeness, a corrupt government, people refusing to work and expecting to be fed and housed for nothing, etc.

Has your right to own a gun been revoked because of some criminal activity???

Might be a case of misery loving company, hmmmm?

I also find it hillarious that you would ask me to mind my own business since it was YOU and a couple of your cronies who were digging up info on ME a few months back... looking up my name in the book, etc, etc, etc. Trying to get a little dirt on me. Oh, but THAT'S ok, YOU guys are entitled to roll that way, but let a libertarian ask a few personal questions back at the statist and all bets are off, heee heee heee.

You guys are as predictable as the sunrise.

And, unlike Jerry, I don't automatically respect ANYONE. Not even for military service. As Matt said, they have their share of lunatics too (I give you the Ft Hood shooter Nidal Hasan for example).

Jerry and many others are DEAD WRONG to automatically bestow honor on someone they have never even met just because they were once in the military. Any REAL military person has heard and KNOWS the old saying: "respect is EARNED".

Jerry -- You must admit, all posturing and propoganda aside, that the Al Queda have a point: We, as a society, worship the mighty Dollar more than the Almighty. I hope I am not stricken dead for working for material gain on Easter Day. Blasphemy it was.

All -- As long as we're coming clean -- I have been arrested too -- rap sheet as long as your arm -- but as the prosecutor in one of my recent affairs observed -- "Your Honor -- If it wouldn't have been for pot and beer -- Mr. Jones would have never been in trouble!!" And so it is -- I am too PRO-social, if anything.

I have a felony conviction for possession of pot, 1998, which technically precludes me from much of this legal talk. But as with everything else, I have my sources. Time comes, availability will not be an issue.

Rhys,
If your only felony notch is pot from 1998 and you'd like to see if you can clear that off your record so that it doesn't preclude the opportunities it may be keeping you from, drop me a line and I'll try to help.
rdouglas@steamboattoday.com
Rob

Thanks Rob I might take you up on it -- while I am a poor boy and that is low on my list of priotities (need not immediately foreseen) it would be nice to be legal, not fear the authorities siezing my fine equipment. I don't need 15 shots either. The sweetest rifle I ever knew was a Civil War falling-block single-shot, octagon barrel rounded, re-chambered to what he called a T-65, about like a .25-'06... Lyman peeps, 800 yards, ping... I admit I love guns, and I hope I never need one. Love and peace is where it's at.

Abraham Lincoln and a young associate were walking home from church one Sunday afternoon. The young apprentice couldn't understand why Lincoln didn't share his enthusiasm for the sermon they had just heard.

When the young man demanded "WWhat was wrong with the ministers message?" Lincoln's response was "he did not ask of us a hard thing."

Simply following orders is not heroic.

Simply being in the army is no reason for praise.

Doing what people tell you "other than mommy and daddy": is not necessarily heroic, or worthy of respect.

If that were the criteria the people that flew the planes into the World Trade Centers on 9-11 were "respectable" and "heroes".

Nobody is respectable simply because they followed orders. If that was the test then the Nazis serving under Hitler were all heroes for sending 3 million to the gas chamber, because they "followed orders" from people other than their mommy and daddy."
REAL heroes, REAL respectful people sometimes defy orders, and oftimes do the right thing even when they are NOT being watched.

Matthew Since you removed yourself from the liberal camp and I redesignated Rhys as a renegade( as I said Rhys, do not take offense) I still have no liberals stepping forward as veterans or ex law enforcement. Interesting.

Mark Did you serve in the military or law enforcement?

Rhys The Mavericks can. Very disappointing but I suspect just a sign of a very young team.

I have never personally been in any branch of the military. Although I count my childhood as 14 years of "basic training".

My father was Navy. 6 of my uncles were Army, 4 were marines and 2 were Air force.

I have not been in law enforcement either, and I wouldn't want to be. There is no way I could show thge restraint necessary to keep my job as a cop. I'd kill some of the A-holes that cops have to deal with daily. They are a far more patient breed than I.

Mark I would say that the great majority of people who have served in the military have respect for each other just because of what they all endured and survived. I am not talking about just combat and the bad stuff but the mindless rules and regulations of the military. I have great respect for any one that survives that part and huge respect for anyone who survives combat (which I did not see). You are correct that police officers require a great amount of patience and corrections officers/ prison guards require even more. The police deal with some not very pleasent people for a short period of time. They turn them over to jails/prisons whose officers get to deal with the most unpleasant of the lot for 24/7/365 and sometimes for the rest of the unpleasant person's life. That is another reason a swift death penalty is needed. Sonetimes these unpleasant lifers decide to kill a officer/guard or another unpleasant inmate because he is a different race or in a different gang or just for entertainment.

I add the following because the same DHS concern has been brought up before, and I am interested in the opinions of other veterans on this letter:

Posted in later March, it matches a letter by Terry M. Hestilow, a retired Army officer with nearly 30 years of service under his belt, to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)

Re: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and that agencies preparation for war against citizens of the United States of America

Dear Senator Cornyn,

It is with gravest concern that I write to you today concerning the recent appropriation of weapons by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that can only be understood as a bold threat of war by that agency, and the Obama administration, against the citizens of the United States of America. To date, DHS has been unwilling to provide to you, the elected representatives of the People, justification for recent purchases of almost 3,000 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) armored personnel carriers, 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition (with associated weapons), and other weapons systems, when, in fact, the DHS has no war mission or war making authority within the limits of the United States of America.

Significant is the fact that at the same time the Obama administration is arming his DHS for war within the limits of the United States against the People of the United States in accordance with his 2008 campaign speech claiming,
“We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve gotta (sic) have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded [as the United States military]”–Candidate Barack Obama, 2008.
The Obama administration is deliberately defunding, overextending, and hollowing the Department of Defense; the only legitimate agency of the U.S. government with a war mission.

This act of the Obama administration stands as a glaring threat of war against our nation’s citizens! This act of the Obama administration can only be understood as a tyrannical threat against the Constitution of the United States of America! If left unresolved, the peace loving citizens who have sworn to defend the United States Constitution “against all enemies, both foreign and domestic” are left no option except to prepare to defend themselves, and the U.S. Constitution, against this Administration’s “coup” against the People and the foundations of liberty fought for and defended for the past 238 years. We have no choice if we honor our oaths.

The only proper response to this threat against the American people is for the representatives of the People, the members of the U.S. House and Senate, to demand in clear terms that the Administration cannot ignore, that the Department of Homeland Security immediately surrender their newly appropriated weapons of war to the Department of Defense (DoD). Further, since the DHS has assumed a position in the Administration to enforce the tyrannical acts of this president against the People of the United States against the limits of the United States Constitution, it remains for the United States Congress to exercise its limiting power in the balancing of powers established by our founding fathers, to disestablish and dissolve the DHS as soon as possible. One needs only to look to the rise of Adolf Hitler, and his associated DHS organizations, the SA and the SS, of 1932-1934, to see the outcome of allowing an agency of government this kind of control over the free citizens of a nation. The people of Germany could not have imagined, until it was too late, the danger of allowing a tyrant this kind of power. We must not be so naïve as to think it will not happen to us as well if we remain passive toward this power grab by the Marxist Obama administration!

Finally, for more than two centuries the nation has lived in peace at home because of the protections of our legitimate military and the many appropriate state and federal law enforcement agencies, supported by Constitutional courts. We stand today at a cross-road. Will we allow this present Administration to overthrow our United States Constitution and its legal processes to amend injustices, or, will we honor our obligations to defend the Constitution against a “domestic” enemy? Our Constitution lays out the proper methods of resolving our differences; and it does not include its overthrow by a rogue agency of a Marxist leadership at home. You, sir, are our constitutionally elected agent to defend our Constitution at home. We are counting upon you. We remain aware, however, of this present threat and will not expose ourselves as an easy prey to the authors of the destruction of our nation.

I know that this letter demands much of you. We elected you because we, the citizens of the State of Texas, believe that you are up to the task at hand and will, against all threats, honor your oath and office. We are also writing to your fellow members of the House and Senate to stand in integrity with the Constitution and against this present threat by the Obama administration and his DHS.

In particular, the publicly quoted numbers are the maximum possible for a multiple year purchase cycle. Much of the purchases are for training since DHS allows for 1,000 training rounds per gun per year. DHS also supplies ammo to local law enforcement for their training. DHS is, in fact, not stockpiling more ammo than normal.

Nor are they buying an inordinate amount of hollow point bullets. The hollow point is a small portion of the purchases.

Unfortunately, the truth accepted by senators is boring and not nearly as well publicized as the conspiracy theories.

I bet there were any number of folks like Scott, back in 1920's, who had a perfectly reasonable explination for all the "construction" and "improvements" that were going on at Ravensbruck, Dachau, and Auschwitz.

I am not sure why any government agency uses hollow point over normal bullets, but that actually dates back to Bush administration. Not part of some new conspiracy.

The 1.6 billion rounds is far more than the actual number of round purchased in a year. It is the absolute maximum that can contractually be purchased over several years. DHS does buy a bunch of ammo for the various agencies to use in firearms training. Each gun is allocated up to 1,000 rounds per year for training and then more for the qualification tests.

If, for the sake of discussion, we allow the DHS purchase claims are true, we have a much more worthwhile topic. The conservative who sent me the letter sought my opinion. Rather than argue the facts of the DHS purchases, I opined on the Captain's response to those "facts", and on the consequences to this country of his, or a larger number, acting on his strongly resolved intentions.

It is my hope to similarly hear the opinions of the vets posting above. What do you think about the Captain and his statements?

1.6 billion divivded by 230,000 employees is quite a bit more than 1,000, even if you use mulitple years. I thought we were in financial straits or are they trying to help with the unemployment issue by putting ammo makers to work. Couple this info with whats going on in Utah (at the Data Collection Center) and as Desi use to say "You got alot a splaining to do Lucy". Why do people expect to get a straight answer from the leaders to direct questions especially about "top secrect issues"? Even the white house spokesman can't just answer a question with "That's classifed information and I'm not at liberty to discuss it with the press". He always goes on these convuluted long winded explanations that reveal nothing. As for the Captains statement I agree with him but think he is barking up the wrong tree, The real question is Who can we trust? Just because Cronyn was elected doesn't mean he's on "our" side. (our side meaning consitutional Americans). I'm not a conspiracy theorist but anyone who has ever read a spy novel knows virtually no one can be trusted.

I would say the Captain sounds like a raving paranoid -- but I've seen DHS in action, controlling all national and international news aired, spinning it their own way -- so I wouldn't put anything past them. The Federal Reserve has this country by the short hairs, and this agency is just another of their henchmen. I had heard recently how we are seizing oil from Iraq to pay for the Gulf wars, seemingly good news; however, the citizens, who will ultimately pay, (or the Chinese, who paid in short order) will never realize the benefit of all this oil, as it will go into the national security reserve. What do you suppose their plans for it are...

How would the government initiate a war on its own people? Shut off the gas and oil? Controlling the power grid? Hijack the media and Internet?

Whatever happens -- if I can't eliminate the immediate threat with a few well-placed shots -- I will be considering immediate relocation. Conserve my precious ammo. I'm no hero, but the survival instinct runs real strong.

How 'bout them Nuggies NOW, Jerry? 22-4 over the last 26, 2 games left in the season; that OT loss in Dallas will make no difference in the standings. Go Nuggets!!

1) The claimed facts behind the conspiracy are accepted by conservative Sens Coburn and Cornyn as not being true. Yes, one idiotic Congressman gave a rant of not having received answers, but DHS had provided answers.

2) Exactly who is supposed to carry this out? Occupy Wall Street is going to be armed and militarily take over the country? Obama's liberal army of campaign volunteers is going to be armed and become a military force?

3) There is absolutely no ideological framework to justify such a takeover. There is no view of thought that there is a great leader that could solve our problems if only corrupt Congress was removed. Obama supporters, if anything, think they have demographics on their side and can even turn Texas into a Democratic state by getting enough Hispanics to vote. They see no reason for some sort of DHS led takeover.

So what is the real world implications of the Captain's letter other than the obvious that good people can fall for crazy conspiracy theories hyped by extremist media? Not much except the Republican Party is probably going to continue to lose races it should win by fielding weak candidates that listen to the stupid wing of the party.

Seems to me that the Dems like using these crazy conspiracy theories as a wedge issue against the Republican Party. They provide enough facts so that the media and leading Republicans reject the conspiracy, but make no PR effort to challenge the crazy logic of the conspiracies. It is almost as if the Dems want to keep a frenzied right wing believing Obama is a foreign agent sent to militarily take over the US government. And then win unexpected elections when a Republican candidate publicly supports the stupid wing of the party.

This conspiracy theory fits in as part of the wing nuts overall great conspiracy of Obama as an foreign agent with a fabricated birth certificate intending to destroy the USA.

You are probably right, Scott, it's paranoid blather... nevertheless... why am I reminded of the parable about the boy who shouts WOLF once too often... there is no denying that there are many in high places, who place their own interests first and foremost -- the question is, how deep does the cancer run? And how will it ultimately affect this fine nation?

My own email back to that conservative argued, as others do above, the need to think this further through, beyond the first confrontation. Allow that the Captain succeeds some distance. What does that look like? Where does he get to? I think the ultimate path would factor most upon public opinion, which would hinge more on economics than on constitutional anger. The upset to local and larger economies of the Captain's path would put him between Americans and a paycheck. The further he succeeded, the harder and uglier he and his team x goes down.

Sure there are issues, but worrying about crazy conspiracies gets in the way of seeking reforms to real issues.

Gerrymandering is a real cancer that allows politicians to carve out exceeding safe districts for themselves. It effectively denies members of the minority party from having a vote that matters since the election is for all practical purposes decided in the majority party's primary.

Instead of people talking about how California's electoral reform of a truly nonpartisan committee handling the redistricting combined with open primaries taking the top two vote getters regardless of party affiliation allowed centrists to defeat entrenched politicians, we hear about crazy conspiracy theories. In one election, California had more elections (4) defeating the status quo than in the previous 10 years.

You want a not so bright ideologue like Diane DeGette to be out of office? Make her face a moderate that could never win either the Republican primary or beat her in the Democratic primary, but might be able to get enough Republican, independent and Democratic voters in an open primary and then general election to beat her.

From a purely practical viewpoint, what the tyrant needs to do to assume power is remove the legislative branch as any impediment to his plans. And then pack the legal system with political hacks to say everything is legal. Like what Putin has done in Russia.

The Captain's letter is like a Gilda Radner segment on the old SNL. Maybe the letter makes some sense if only the presumed outrage existed. But, upon learning the truth, it ends with just "never mind".

From a purely historical viewpoint, the tyrant already HAS assumed power: He answers to nobody, yet dictates all. Subjects dare not object, as any serious threat is resolved in a lethal manner. That's how you bleed a country dry. Thank Woodrow Wilson. He sold us out.

You wrote that and don't want to be considered "paranoid" or "delusional"?

DHS, vaccines and water supply? Isn't Obama's birth certificate forged. Was it because he wasn't born in Hawaii or to cover up that his real father was Frederick Douglass? So many different variations of these conspiracies.

I guess you have what it takes to see through all of these wide ranging long term conspiracies.

Mr. Eedy i am glad you had the chance to tick Steamboat off of your ski bucket list. I hope you got nice fluffy deep champagne powder while you visited. I am married to a Canadian from Northern Ontario and she was happy to hear one of her fellow countrymen showed up in our paper!!
I only hope that the long-winded rants and paranoid responses contained within the comments section following your article do not keep you from returning to Steamboat again in the future.